Cawfields and colour

Saturday morning and it looks promising, I load the car and head off to Hadrian's Wall.
Mists are swirling and at the turn for Walltown I can see across to Cawfields, not too much mist and a bit of colour in the sky.
I'm heading right along the Military Road to Sewingshields Crag, from Kings Hill you can get a nice view of Sewingshields and if there's colour to the west you can see the mists around Housesteads, Cuddys Crag and right on to Winshields Crag.
Stopped just before Housesteads to catch a photograph of the light over Beggar Bog,(NY788681) there's a stand of trees there that I like. Thick grey mist is drifting south like a cloud of smoke, knowing I have a 20 minute climb to Kings Hill (NY798693)I set off again but when I get to Moss Kennel that thick grey mist is covering the hill where I'd be standing.
Do I take a chance and hope it will clear?
That's the thing with mist it can clear in an instant or simply get more dense.
The sky is colouring up beautifully and I have to stop dithering.
I turn the car around and head back to Cawfields, in the car mirror I can see the most amazing colours but my indecision has cost me and as I pull into the car park at Cawfields Quarry (NY713665) the colour is fading and the mist that swirled 15 minutes ago has gone.
I take a shot of the light reflected in the water and then tink as I'm up anyway I might as well walk up Cawfield Crags (NY718667) a while.
I love the way Hadrians Wall twists and turns here, and the Wall itself is in remarkably good condition. I need to get to the point where you can see the progression of the hills, in parts that view is blocked by trees, but eventually I'm happy and in place, as the sun starts to appear.
This is a lovely spot and I enjoy the day waking up, the farmer from Shield in the Wall Farm is making his rounds on a quad bike, cows graze and the rooks caw. I stop to wipe the condensation off my filter (a real problem at this time of the year) and a couple of black labradors rush up to say hello. Their master was just behind them and we chatted for a while, agreeing that on mornings like this the world is a wonderful place.
Looking forward to more the same.
Catch you later.
Joan

http://www.joanthirlaway.com/

So tranquil

Another day, another entry for my Hadrian's Wall blog, I don't get much feedback so it's become a bit like a diary for me, going through my photographing doings for the day.

Sunset's around 6.40pm at the moment, seems like just last week I was hanging about on the crags at 10pm waiting for the sun to go down.

In another month our clocks will change and I'll be trying to catch the sunset and then coming home for tea!

The sky last night was, well, gentle, wispy clouds and a bit of a haze so I hoped there might be a bit of colour in the sky as the sun set.

As it was a still night I headed off to Crag Lough, the lake that you look east to from Steel Rigg. We don't have many areas of water that are easily accessible on Hadrian's Wall so Crag Lough features in most of the local photographer portfolio's.

Last night it was so still, not quite a mirror but still enough to reflect the sky nevertheless and it was lovely.

John Pattinson, the farmer at Hotbank Farm was bringing in his hay so there was the gentle buzz of a tractor in the background. As the sun set the rooks on the crag all took off in a big swirl of wings, noisily cawing and whirling about. I stood and just watched them in action, it looked as though they were having fun. I have to wait until they settle again before I can use the camera, in low light the exposure time is too long and moving birds, and midges, make blurry dots all over the shot.

Mrs Pattinson stopped and had a word, I caught up on the news about her daughter's wedding, sounds like they had an amazing day, then I took a few more shots before packing up and walking back down the track to my car.

I never cease to think how lucky I am to live in such an amazing place and to know that if I don't get picture I really like tonight, then I can just try again tomorrow.

We're coming to the end of another busy tourist season so if you fancy visiting when things are a bit quieter maybe now's the time to book up.

For the Steel Rigg bit of Hadrian's Wall you could try http://www.saughyrigg.co.uk/ , just a ten minute walk away.

Catch you later,

Joan

Joan Thirlaway

http://www.joanthirlaway.com/

Just some photographs

I take so many shots when I'm out that sometimes it takes me a while to get through them

So here are a few recent ones.
Sunrise at Steel Rigg - lovely red sky that morning.



It's coming to that time of the year when the sun rises to the south of Hadrian's wall leaving the Crags in heavy shadow - not ideal for photography - but it's autumn we get most misty mornings so I'm still getting up early.

Next is a photograph from Cawfields



This is a great spot for early morning mist, sometimes there's too much to see anything at all but, if it's a clear morning, the rising sun begins to burn off some of the mist. As ever with photography it's a case of just wait and see.

Another from that same morning but zooming in on Cawfield Crags.




And finally today we have two from Walltown and sunsets this time.

So you might wonder why I insist on showing you my photographs, well as you may know from previous posts I very rarely see anyone else when I'm out with my camera, most visitors are either tucked up in bed or having their breakfast in the morning, at sunset they're sitting having their evening meal.

Maybe just for once it would be worth arranging to have your meal at a different time and come out to enjoy the spectacular show nature puts on for us all.

A quick check with the metchecck site ( http://www.metcheck.com/V40/UK/FREE/today.asp?zipcode=NE47) will show you what the weather will be like, NE47 is the postcode for Steel Rigg.

Catch you later.